Learning Curve (episode)
Tuvok conducts a training session for Maquis personnel. (Season Finale) Summary Teaser Captain Janeway is in the midst of a holonovel, dressed in Victorian clothing and preparing to address her newly-motherless charges in her role as the Governess, Ms. Lucillle Davenport. As she opens windows and practices various greetings, she is surprised to hear the voice of a young boy behind her. She turns to find the young Lord Henry and Lady Beatrice, and greets them warmly. The young Lord does not shake Janeway's extended hand but rather bows, as his sister curtseys. He arrogantly corrects Janeway's use of their first names, informing her that they are to refer to them as M'Lord and M'Lady. Janeway warmly agrees and ushers them into chairs. Lord Henry tests Janeway's Latin, which she admits is rusty, but is silenced as the new Governess informs him that she is more than qualified to instruct him. She assures him that when it comes to mathematics and the sciences, he will find her lessons challenging. Just as she is getting to know Lady Beatrice, who insists her mother is not dead when the girl abruptly disappears. Lord Henry demands to know what happened to her when he also disappears. Janeway asks the computer to restore the characters, and learns that there has been a disruption to energy grid Beta 4. The Bridge confirms power fluctuations on Deck 6, and that Tuvok is investigating. Tuvok findsCrewman Dalby replacing a malfunctioning gel pack without authorization. When he brings this incident, as well as other examples of Maquis crewmen not following protocol, Captain Janeway asks Tuvok to teach those Maquis crew members needing the course how to work under the Starfleet protocol. Chakotay selects four crew members who would benefit most to participate in this "boot camp." Act One With the goal of teaching the group the values of cooperation, Starfleet protocols, and to give an overall positive experience Tuvok engages the group in training activities. In the first session, the group demands to know why they were selected for this "honor," question Tuvok and Starfleet, and generally act defiantly. Crewman Chell speaks out of turn and is assigned 40 laps around the cargo bay. Tuvok then describes the nature of the class: They will be held to the same standards as Starfleet cadets, there will be physical training, academic studies, as well as tactical situations which will be simulated on the holodeck. Tuvok demands that Crewman Gerron look him in the eye when he is speaking when Darby jumps in to defend him. Darby's confrontation leads to him and the rest of the class storming out, leaving Tuvok standing in the cargo bay alone. After hearing the report on the "Maquis" class, Chakotay, having their trust as a friend and their former captain, deals with the situation by approaching the class members in the mess hall. Dalby tells Chakotay they should be allowed to do things the Maquis way. Chakotay, proving his point, hits Dalby and knocks him off his chair, saying "That's the Maquis way too isn't it? And if you want to keep doing it that's fine with me. We can do that tomorrow, the next day, everyday until you report to Lieutenant Tuvok." Surrounded by the stunned faces of the crew, including the four members of the boot camp, Darby shakily nods his head and says, "Yes, Sir." Act Two The issue ends there - they take the class. At the second session, Tuvok hands out their study assignments and informs them of their unannounced exam schedules and then examines their uniforms. He reminds Crewman Henley that her headband, while certainly festive, is in violation of regulations. He pulls out a necklace worn by Chell, who launches into a detailed description of its origin, only to stop him and tell him it is in violation of the dress code. Chell angrily removes the necklace. Tuvok moves on to Gerron, who already know what is coming and takes off his Bajoran earring. Tuvok tell him that in addition, his boots are scuffed and should arrive in polished boots from now on. Gerron looks Tuvok in the eye and says, "Yes, Sir." He has no corrections for Darby, merely asking him if he has a problem, to which Darby responds, "No, Sir." Overall, the class is now compliant, if not holding back anger. Back on duty in Engineering, Darby talks to Torres about the class. He seems to think it a waste of time, but when Torres says that it sounds like he's afraid of failing, Darby asserts that he would not fail. Just as Torres tells him to make it through, an alarm sounds, indicating another power failure. Darby identifies it as another bio-neural gel pack, and Torres informs the Bridge that she is sending another repair crew. She assigns Darby to replace the gel pack, asking him to make sure they don't have a cascade feedback causing the problems. As Darby rushes off, Torres informs her staff she will be in Sick Bay if she's needed. In Sick Bay, Torres asks the Doctor to examine the pack's biological components, since there appear to be no problems with the mechanical components. The Doctor places the gel pack on the medical bed, treating it with (uncharacteristically) warm bedside manner, even to the point of not wanting to discuss "the patient's" condition in front of it, as it would be "a serious breech of professional etiquette;" Doctor is attempting to cultivate a greater sensitivity to his patient's needs. Under Torres' exasperated response, the Doctor proceeds with his diagnosis: the gel pack has a very contagious infection. The Doctor predicts that the crew has not been infected, but says that to contain the infection, all the effected biopacks will have to be quarantined. He also informs Torres that he won't be able to stop the spread of the infection without locating its source. Meanwhile, the "boot camp" continues. Tuvok has the class climb through over 50 Jeffries tubes and a 10 km run - having increased the gravity by 10%. Crewmen Chell and Gerron, having been lapped three times, have to complete the run while the others gasp for breath after the "death march." The group is exhausted at the end, only to find out that they will repeat the exercise the following day, under the expectation of improved performance. Chell degauzes the transporter room while Torres and Kim discuss the possibility of a biofilter malfunction. Kim assures Torres that there is no malfunction, and together they go over the latest imports which could have been the source of the infection. Kim lists the latest list of food for Neelix, including schplickt, but all of them checked out. As they leave to check the environmental systems for something airborne, Torres asks Chell why he is using a microresonator rather than the magneton scanner. Kim responds for Chell, informing Torres that Chell was using the tiny device on orders from Tuvok. Chell says Tuvok estimates it will take 26.3 hours. As Kim and Torres leave, Kim tells Chell that he "missed a spot." The next assignment for the class is a war games simulation on a holodeck version of the Bridge Tuvok has created. He hopes that an exercise in cooperation with instill a sense of teamwork among the trainees. He places Darby in command, with Chell at navigation, Gerron at science, and Henley at weapons. When Darby sets the course, the simulation, which includes of series of random events, begins. The comm picks up a distress signal, which Gerron confirms is a Ferengi ship. After attempts to hail them fail, Chell reminds Darby that the Ferengi are known to deceive others by pretending to be in distress. Darby says that they have a duty to provide humanitarian aid and proceeds. Gerron announces the presence of a Romulan warbird. The warbird powers weapons, and Darby calls for evasive action. They are hit when another warbird arrives, inflicting more damage. Henley fires at will as the simulated Voyager is steadily destroyed. Tuvok announces that they are all dead and asks them for reasons for the failure. Henly believes they went by the book, while Chell is certain that his evasive action sequences cannot be faulted. Henley is proud to have gone down with phasers firing. Tuvok then turns to Gerron, who wonders why it matters what they did wrong. Tuvok sagely responds, "It matters because if you do not learn from your mistakes, you will be doomed to repeat them." Darby jumps up to take responsibility, as he was in command. When asked what he thought went wrong, Darby says that they were just outgunned. Tuvok asks him if the possibility of retreat had occurred to him. Henley is shocked at the idea of retreat, to which Tuvok responds that "the strongest tactical move is always the one in which you will reap the highest gain at the lowest cost. Going out with phasers firing may seem heroic, but in the long run, it is merely foolish. Retreat is often the best possible option." The trainees are demoralized and exit, feeling as if they have failed. Tuvok is again left alone, this time seeming to wonder why his methods are not proving effective. Act Three This perception is confirmed as Neelix approaches a pensive Tuvok in the mess hall, stating that he senses that his services as morale officer are required. Neeklix remarks that Tuvok does not have a cup of tea, a PADD, and is not sitting in his usual place. Neelix can tell Tuvok has something on his mind by the "cloud of doom rising from him like a ground fog." While Tuvok questions whether there are physical emanations which allow Neelix to sense his mood, he does begin to describe the progress of his trainees. Tuvok cannot isolate the problem, even after having the experience of teaching literally thousands of cadets. He insists that his methods are proven, time-honored, and have worked time and time again. In response, Neelix takes Tuvok to look at some Keela flowers which are remarkably strong due to their flexible stems. Occasionally on the same stalk, however, are stems that are not so flexible, and therefore break. Tuvok interprets Neelix' demonstration as implying that the Maquis crewmembers are the rigid stem, but Neelix corrects him, saying that if Tuvok were to learn to "bend a little," he may have better results. As he is listening to Neelix, however, Tuvok begins to pick up an odor, turning to a plate filled with a mound of white food. Neelix inhales the potent odor, informing Tuvok that it is brill cheese, made from the schplikt he recently acquired. He is making macaroni and cheese for Ensign Ashmore. The word "cheese" causes a rapid conjecture to form for Tuvok, who notes that to create cheese, one needs to cultivate bacteria. Neelix follows Tuvok's gaze to a ventilation intake located right above Neelix food preparation area. Janeway puts Torres on the task of investigating Neelix' kitchen as a possible source of the infection. Torres asks for the schematics of the air systems while walking over to the cheese, now housed in a portable containment field. She reports that the cheese is full of volatile bacteria spores, and that it must remain isolated. Neelix waves off two members of Torres' team who scan a pudding he is stewing, but is filled with remorse as he hears how the spores traveled up the intake, into the ventilation system, and on to contaminate the bio-neural gel packs. As they talk, the lights flash and system power down and up, causing Torres to worry that the infection has spread to the environmental systems. As she commands that the cheese be taken to the Doctor for investigation, she reassures Neelix that the contamination was not his fault. As the investigation proceeds, Tuvok attempts to follow Neelix' advice and plays pool at Sandrine's with a recalcitrant Darby to get to know him better. When Tuvok asks him if he has any family, Darby asks if this is a part of his training. Tuvok states that it is simply to get to know him better. As he expertly knocks ball after ball into the pockets, Darby tells Tuvok about his living on the Bajoran frontier and always getting into trouble until he fell in love with a Bajoran woman who is later viciously raped and murdered by three Cardassians. This event spurs him to join the Maquis where he then tried to kill as many Cardassians as he could. Tuvok reponds by asking about his protective relationship with Gerron, asking if they had developed a friendship. Darby says that he has not succeeded, that Gerron reminds him of himself when he was that age. His progress with Gerron was interrupted when they were pulled to the Delta Quadrant, where Gerron is now miserable being so far from home. Tuvok reminds Darby that Chakotay selected Gerron for the program, thinking that if Gerron could learn new skills, set and meet goals, that he may begin to feel better about himself. Darby, already agitated by the conversation, puts down his cue stick and tells Tuvok that he does not want to get to know him or be his friend, then turns around and leaves. Act Four The Doctor continues to examine the cheese, stating that it is the most pernicious infective agent he has ever seen. Kes has submitted it to every known anti-bacterial agent to no avail. Sickbay sways as the ship experiences more power failures. The Doctor reports that he is at a loss, and then wonders to Kes why the bacteria didn't show up on any diagnostics. Kes responds that she thinks she has read that viruses can live inside bacteria. The Doctor suddenly puts all the pieces together, surmising that the bacteria has been the host to the virus, and that there are thousands of viruses so small that they would not have been picked up. Kes begins to submit the gel packs to anti-viral agents. Meanwhile, Tuvok and his class are engaging in an activity in a carbo bay. Noticing the escalating instability in the ship, Tuvok dismisses class. However, the door to the cargo bay will not open, even when Tuvok attempts various codes. Chell begins to panic as Kim reports to Janeway that the gel packs are beginning to fail sequentially. The Captain asks about the isolinear circuits, but Kim reports that Torres has not completed the changeover, and that they could not even maintain life support. Paris announces that propulsion is down as Kim informs them that all the main systems are down - communications, transporters, turbo lifts, even life support. Janeway has Torres transfer all power to life support and to continue working on the isolinear circuitry, just as Gerron is attempting to open the cargo bay doors with the manual override and Darby reports that he can't get the main cargo door open. Tuvok attempts to contact the Bridge but receives no answer. Just as the situation gets worse, with decks losing life support and gravity, the Doctor reports with good news - so far, the gel packs have not been able to fight off the infection because they could not do what humanoid organisms do - get a fever. He reports that heating the gelpacks has proven successful in his experiments. However, he says that he does not have the power to heat all the gelpacks, ship-wide. Torres has the solution: to heat up the gel packs with a high-energy plasma burst, which Janeway states would be generated by inverting the warp towards the ship. Torres proposes that they run the warp engines to 80% while standing still. It's risky, but the Captain decides it is worth it and directs all the power to be rerouted to the warp engines. Paris deactivates the nacelle controls and sets the engines to build to 80% power. Back in the cargo bay, the trainees and Tuvok recognize the change in the power. Darby notes that a conduit is getting very hot, while Henly notes the increase in environmental temperature. Gerron begins to panic, while Tuvok assures them that the Captain is most likely doing something to deal with the system failures. He urges his students not to let fear get the best of them. He assigns Gerron to check if the console in the control room is still functioning, sending the young man up a ladder to the small room while he and the rest go to try to access a Jeffries tube from the forward bulk head. Act Five The Bridge officers are shaken about as the ship struggles under the power. Paris remarks on the heat, while Chakotay informs them that they are only at 74%., not enough for a plasma burst. The Captain orders Paris to increase anti-matter flow, which Kim reports is working. Paris attempts to get the temperature up, reaching 360 Kelvins. At 79% power, Chakotay says they should risk trying the plasma burst. Janeway agrees and instructs Torres, who warns them of the possible effects on the conduits. Janeway orders her to proceed. Meahwhile, the trainees open an access panel only to be blown down by an exploding conduit. They all look as plasma gas begins to seep in, and Tuvok announces the room will become poisonous within minutes. As Tuvok tells them that they must leave immediately through the Jeffries tube, Darby demands, "What about Gerron?" They all look up to see the young man slumped over the rail, unconscious. Darby tells Tuvok that they can't leave him, but Tuvok orders them all into the Jeffries tube, that “it is always tactically correct to sacrifice the few for the many.” Dalby is furious and lunges up to go get Gerron himself, but Tuvok stops him, pinning his arm behind his back. Tuvok commands the others into the Jeffries tube, and tells Dalby that if he does not get into the tube, he will break his arm. As Dalby accuses him of killing Gerron, he climbs into the tube, which Tuvok seals, he himself remaining inside the cargo bay. Coughing from the plasma gas, Tuvok runs to Gerron. On the Bridge and throughout the ship, crew members are gasping, dripping in sweat, and struggling to stay conscious. Janeway asks the Doctor for an update, who reports that bacterial levels are dropping. He reports that in a few minutes, the system will be purged. While the heat and gas continue to build, Tuvok climbs the ladder to reach Gerron, carrying him on his shoulder. Overpowered by the plasma gas, Tuvok falls from the ladder with Gerron. He attempts to crawl with Gerron, but ultimately collapses. The Doctor’s unaffected, perky voice contacts the Bridge, informing them that the bacteria have been destroyed. Janeway orders Kim to start getting the systems back online. In the cargo bay, through the billowing gas clouds, the door is forced open by the trainees. Chell props it open long enough for Henley and Dalby to run in and pick up Gerron and Tuvok and drag them to safety. Gasping and drenched in sweat, the trainees smile in success. Holding Tuvok up, Dalby says, “I thought Starfleet rules said that was an unacceptable risk.” Tuvok responds that is was, but that he “recently realized that there are times when it is desirable to bend the rules.” Dalby responds, looking at his friends, “Lieutenant, if you can learn to bend the rules, I guess we can learn to follow them.” With that, they carry Tuvok and Gerron to Sick Bay, while Voyager continues on its way home Log Entries ;See: * Captain's log, USS Voyager, 2371 * Security log, USS Voyager Memorable Quotes "There's the Starfleet way, and there's the Maquis way." : - Kenneth Dalby "Come with me. I want to show you something. These are Keela flowers. They're beautiful and remarkably strong. The stem is flexible. It's impossible to break. But, occasionally, on the same plant, there's a bloom whose stem is not so flexible. Ah, here's one, see? And when the stem is brittle, it breaks." "You're saying that the Maquis crew is rigid and inflexible, that they will never adjust to Starfleet rules." "No, Mr. Vulcan. I'm saying that you are rigid and inflexible. But maybe if you learn to bend a little, you might have better luck with your class." : - Neelix and Tuvok "Get the cheese to sickbay." : - B'Elanna Torres Background Information * Lindsey Haun, who played Beatrice Burleigh in this episode and , would later play Belle in . * The character Mariah Henley was named for Sue Henley, Kate Mulgrew's stand-in and the actress who played Ensign Brooks. * This was the last episode of season 1 of Star Trek: Voyager. * This episode appears to be the point when friction between the Maquis & Starfleet crews is finally reconciled. The tensions between the two are revisited in the 3rd season episode and in season 7's . * As Tuvok and his class are trapped in th Cargo Bay, someone reports that communication is down. Sickbay and engineering still manage to contact the bridge though. Video and DVD releases * UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 1.8, catalog number VHR 4008, . :Although this was the last broadcast episode of season 1, CIC Video released the four "hold-over" episodes in their production order, as part of the first season release. Volume 1.9 begins with . Volume 2.1 begins with . * As part of the VOY Season 1 DVD collection. Links and References Guest Stars *Armand Schultz as Kenneth Dalby *Derek McGrath as Chell *Kenny Morrison as Gerron *Catherine MacNeal as Mariah Henley Co-Stars *Thomas Dekker as Henry *Lindsey Haun as Beatrice *Majel Barrett as Computer Voice Uncredited Co-Stars *Tarik Ergin as Ayala *Kerry Hoyt as Fitzpatrick *Louis Ortiz as Culhane *John Tempoya as Kashimuro Nozawa *Unknown actor as Murphy Uncredited Stunt doubles *Dennis Madalone as stunt double for Kenny Morrison References apple, Ashmore, Bajoran, bio-neural circuitry, bio-neural gel pack, Bolian, brig, brill cheese, Cardassians, cargo bay, circassian fig, Davenport, Lucille, , distress call, Ferengi, grakel milk, holodeck, holonovel, hull breach, "Janeway Lambda one", Jefferies tubes, Kazleti, Keela flower, ''Kobayashi Maru'' Scenario, Latin, Laurelian pudding, macaroni and cheese, magneton scanner, manual override, Maquis, mathematics, mess hall, micro-resonator, morale officer, nacelle control system, Napinne, "Paris 3", plasma burst, pool, putillo, red giant, schplict, Sequence Beta 93, Starfleet Academy, tea, varmeliate fiber |next= }} Category:VOY episodes de:Erfahrungswerte es:Learning Curve fr:Learning Curve nl:Learning Curve